Priority: Vacation
by Fempire
Summary: Close to burning out, Shepard hears from an old friend who gives her an opportunity she cannot refuse. Shepard calls up her old squadmates to assist her on her brand new mission: To relax and have fun. With everyone aboard the Normandy, Shepard, Liara, and their daughter tour the ship to meet with everyone who made it and run into a few surprises along the way.
1. New Orders

**Disclaimer: The Mass Effect IP is owned by EA and BioWare. **

**A/N: Spoilers ahead for the ending of ME3. You have been warned.**

**I would like to thank a very good friend of mine, Chris, for helping me along the way with this fic. If you are into action and are a fan of Archangel fics, then head over to his FF page ~Malhiem and keep an eye out, because he has one in the works.**

**For simplicity's sake, think of Shepard and Liara's asari daughter's age in human terms.**

**I intend for this to be a 3-part fic giving Shepard the vacation she rightly deserves, and truly hope you enjoy reading this as much as I have had writing it.**

* * *

After the Reapers had fallen, Shepard had expected some extended R&R, but she was wrong - dead wrong. The horrific injuries she sustained in the final battle for Earth were not enough to stop the parades of diplomats and galactic leaders coming to congratulate her and even asking for advice.

No matter how many times she dismissed them, the military strategists and politicians always accused her of giving up on her planet when they needed her most. They would then proceed to interrogate her for answers on what would work best against the Reapers or how to utilize use the galactic fleets orbiting Earth, or if she could endorse a certain politician over another.

"_The Reapers are gone, you don't need my advice!" _she had caught herself repeating this so many times that she felt like she was an action figure with a pull string.

The bed she thought she would be able to recover in became her workstation. A datapad in one hand, while her other arm was in a hard cast. Despite all her efforts to defeat the Reapers, she was now in another war; a war of paperwork and negotiations.

Her recovery time in her hospital bed was marred by the constant vidcoms and visits by scientists, politicians, and researchers preparing for a second Reaper invasion that Shepard insisted would never happen. She told them what they needed to know just so they would let her rest for the five minutes it took for someone else to get ahold of her.

Sick of having random people entering her supposedly private hospital room, she reluctantly took on the post in Vancouver that was requested to her by the Systems Alliance Defense Committee to ensure that once she recovered, she could prevent the insistent officials and scientists from harassing her in her own home. At the time, she was more concerned with the stress the parade of officials were causing to Liara over the recovery of her own battered and broken body. Five years later, she wondered why she had taken the job to begin with. She was never a politician. She was a soldier, meant to be on the battlefield, not buried in paperwork behind a desk.

Life on Earth would be forever changed; not a single soul was left unaffected by the Reaper attacks. The aftermath of the war had instilled a permanent fear into the survivors. Millions died, millions more displaced in other star systems whose ticket home went up in smoke when the Mass Relays were destroyed.

The humans and their newfound inhabitants on Earth were quick to begin the rebuilding of cities - some even managed to rebuild quickly enough to the point that the new cityscape looked as if it were never touched by the invasion and subsequent war.

The Systems Alliance slowly rebuilt their strength, both through fixing their ships and regaining their numbers. Admission for the Alliance skyrocketed after the Reapers were defeated, and the Alliance took advantage of war heroes like Shepard in the early-going to entice new recruits into joining. Humans, more than ever, were extremely patriotic and ready to defend their home.

Where slaughters once occurred, the Alliance and the allied fleets in orbit took advantage of the Reaper wreckage to research and replicate their technology to their ships to create new weapons and armour. The scientists and researchers also found that the Mass Relays, once a mystery, were actually fairly easy to rebuild using this newfound technology. The only thing keeping them from doing it was the fear of another Reaper invasion as soon as the new Relays were constructed.

Once Shepard was able get back on her feet again, her workload increased exponentially. She would often come home close to midnight – sometimes even later, only to find a sleeping Liara who had attempted to stay up and wait for her curled up on the sofa.

One particular night, Liara was very much awake and waiting for her. That night, their daughter, Nalayia, came into the world. If it weren't for the arrival of her daughter, Shepard wouldn't have lasted as long as she did without burning out.

Nalayia's arrival was a blessing to Shepard, but even the joy that she brought could only delay the inevitable of Shepard finally caving in from the sheer amount of pressure she was being smothered with.

Shepard's squadmates scattered over time, working on different assignments or joining in with the rebuilding effort but they were always a vidcom away. They even managed to all get together after Nalayia had been born. Shepard knew that things would be easier on her, had she had them there with her for support, but she understood everybody had their own obligations and responsibilities now.

In her time as a 'guest' of the Alliance in Vancouver where she was held to stand trial for her part in the destruction of the Alpha Relay, she had taken a liking to the city, the beautiful mountain ranges and the pristine views of nature had won her over. She vowed that if she survived the war with the Reapers, she would move there.

Shepard often wondered if settling down in Vancouver to be near the Systems Alliance Defense headquarters was the right choice for her and her new family. The more stress that bared weight on her shoulders, the more she wanted to pack everything up, leave the Alliance behind, and take her wife and child to a remote mountain town to live out the rest of their lives in undisturbed peace.

* * *

Shepard stepped out into the street, homeward bound, with her thoughts drifting to the day that was. Her day was exhausting, just like every day seemed to be lately, but today it was worse. She had spent the better part of the entire day debating with the Systems Alliance Defense Committee over the notion that the committee was planning on using the majority of Earth's resources to build an Earth-wide orbital barrier array, instead of focusing efforts and resources on rebuilding the Mass Relays. Shepard was extremely upset that the committee had even brought that idea onto the table for consideration before even one Mass Relay had been rebuilt. She had tried everything possible to make the committee see reason, but that fell on deaf ears. She wasn't sure who was more stubborn to negotiations - the Citadel Council or the Systems Alliance Defense Committee.

Shepard sighed as she gave a quick glance to the sky, thinking, _'Well, now I have the Citadel in orbit, so I have to deal with them both. Lucky me.'_

Shepard snapped out of her thoughts when she nudged shoulders with a male quarian. It wasn't often you would see quarians on the streets of human cities, but wars had a funny way of bringing people together... and stranding their entire race on their flotilla orbiting the planet. After they both exchanged their apologies, Shepard's feet moved forward of their own accord as she sank back into her thoughts.

She had tried explaining to the committee that the Reapers were gone for good;_ "It's just a waste of resources! You should focus on the Relays!" _she would constantly tell them, but they would always retort with hollow words about preparedness and risk management, things she heard hundreds of times prior.

_"Earth doesn't need these proposed 'kinetic barriers.' Firstly, you people didn't even believe me when I told you that the Reapers were threatening our very existence. After they slaughtered the galaxy, you won't believe me when I say they've been destroyed. You couldn't accept they were real, and now you can't accept that they're gone."_

The sound of pleasant chatter and cutlery tinkling against plates took Shepard out of her thoughts as she walked by the newly-reopened _Provence Marinaside_ bistro.

Reaching an intersection, foot traffic increased and Shepard slowed to let the crowd cross the street before waiting for her own traffic light to grant her passage, giving her mind time to drift back to that day's meeting.

_The committee had grown silent, but then in a sudden rush of gossip, they began chattering amongst themselves, some looking perplexed, some looking angry, some looking impressed. They all nodded at the lead councilor, as she rose to speak calmly yet sternly, "But what if the Reapers come back? And not just the Reapers, any other threat to Earth. We were unprepared last time; we will not make that same mistake again, especially when our military forces are crippled so harshly. That could have simply been the first wave. More could be lying in wait in dark space, waiting for our guard to drop before launching another strike against Earth."_

"_I'm not even going to bother explaining to you what happened on the Citadel all those years ago again. I've done it so many times before, and you just won't understand me. It's been five years. They are gone. Look behind you, right now. Right outside your window, there is a Sovereign-class Reaper hull right there with boundless information on how to rebuild the Relays inside of it. Besides, the majority of the galaxy's fleets are here, stuck at Earth. If there was any threat to Earth, it would stand little chance at causing any damage at all. These fleets can't stay here, though. Resources are limited as-is, just for the human fleets – but when you add all of the other Council species' fleets into the equation… councilor, they can't last forever. They need to get back to their home planets. They have families… children…"_

As Shepard watched a family of hanar float into a nearby boutique, she thought about how Wrex hadn't had the chance to hold his newborns, let alone touch them. After the dust had settled over the planet-wide battlegrounds, the comm-buoys were one of the first things to be rebuilt to establish communications with the rest of the galaxy.

The krogan had somehow managed to build one of their own, _'Probably after many challenges to fights and head-butting,'_ Shepard chuckled as she thought to herself.

The krogan were not known for their scientists, so Wrex was surprised when he managed to see Bakara and the new members of his clan back on Tuchanka through an unstable and blurry vidcom. In his absence, Bakara had diplomatically kept the clans in check without Wrex's direct leadership.

Garrus had always been tight-lipped about his family, but after the Mass Relays were destroyed, he broke down. His family was somewhere near Palaven and he hadn't heard news from there until the comm-buoys went back up. Garrus had hit the turian ale hard; it was affecting him in a severe way. If it hadn't been for Tali, Garrus would have hit rock bottom. Shepard was glad the two found comfort in one another.

The traffic light changed, chirping to signify that Shepard and the random passersby could safely cross. As a mob, they walked across the street and Shepard, still lost in thought, ran a hand through her hair in frustration at the thoughts of the meeting earlier in the afternoon.

"_I understand that. I do. But madam councilor, the rebuilding of the Mass Relays is the most important thing to focus on right now. If not for the Council species' fleets, then for our own people; there are millions of displaced humans in the outskirts of the galaxy that need to make it home. We can't just leave them out there to die!"_

"_We understand the importance of the Relays, and they will be rebuilt, and we want our people home, but it is in Earth's best interest that these kinetic barriers are raised before anything of the sort is even planned."_

The committee refused to listen to her just like the Citadel Council once did many years ago. The Citadel Council eventually came around, but it only took Sovereign destroying several allied ships and thousands of lives to do it.

Shepard didn't want the defense committee to ignore the Mass Relays; lives depended on them to scour the galaxy to save the millions trapped on space stations or planets far away from home. Shepard knew the importance of family, and she wanted to honour these people by bringing them home, and the board of the committee just wanted to twiddle their thumbs and focus on defending an Earth that didn't need any more defense; particularly with a generous amount of the armada that fought off the Reapers still intact and floating aimlessly above Earth's atmosphere.

As Shepard continued her way down the sidewalk with her shoulders slumped from the utterly exhausting day, she silently wondered to herself how people like that even kept managing to get into positions of power.

The meeting with the committee did not garner any results in Shepard's favour.

_'Nothing new there,'_ Shepard thought sadly, gazing up. The sky was painted a shade of blue and orange as the sun was beginning to set. Skycars and Alliance shuttles quietly flew overhead, catching glimpses of sunlight, giving them a look of fiery comets going off to whereabouts unknown.

There were very few times Shepard could remember in her military career – hell, entire _life _– where she had ever caught a break and was able to sit down and simply relax.

Shepard tuned out the people that brushed by her and let her mind wander deeper into the past as fatigue took over. Things were starting to stack up on her and none of it seemed to be letting up anytime soon. She dragged her feet wearily as she continued on her way home to grasp the few hours of salvation she could manage before she had to do it all over again the next day.

As Shepard trudged on, she passed by a memorial garden built to honour those who had made tremendous sacrifices and even given up their lives in the fight against the Reapers. Shepard walked by this memorial garden everyday on her way to work. She had been inside of it once for the ceremonial opening, but the feelings that the garden brought up were enough to keep her out of it. As she made her way along the hedges walling it off, she heard laughter coming from within. Laughter was an odd sound to be coming out of a memorial garden honouring the dead. She was exhausted, but curiosity got the best of her, so she strolled in through the main entrance to see what the commotion was about.

The gardens were well-kept with a large array of different types of flowers; their smells commingling to create a pleasant scent for the garden's patrons. Hedges divided the peaceful garden from the streets outside, giving it a sense of peace; a refreshing contrast to the concrete jungle that spanned out past the vibrant flora. The garden focused around a dark marble fountain, the names of hundreds of soldiers who lost their lives in the recent war inscribed into the marble on the ledge circling the fountain. Water jets sprayed high in the air, centering the statues of three masked soldiers, one being carried by his comrades – it was a dedication to the true moral code of the Systems Alliance – no soldier should ever be left behind. Marble benches circled around the fountain, with names of the fallen etched into the edges and hidden under the shades of growing trees. The trees, planted five years ago, were beginning to mature and to provide shade from the glaring sun.

It was easy to get lost in the melodies of song birds and the gentle sound of water falling into the fountain, but the distant sound of skycars passing by reminded Shepard that she was in downtown Vancouver - that there was a bustling city outside the peaceful serenity of the garden.

Shepard reached the source of the noise to find a turian, completely soaked from an apparent fall into the large fountain. The disgruntled turian was staring at the foil wrapping of what was apparently his lunch, floating on the surface of the water. Not too far away, a small group of asari and human women stood giggling at the turian's misfortunate ordeal.

Shepard shook her head disapprovingly at the clumsy turian as her eyes scanned the perimeter. Behind the fountain, centered between a corridor of two marble walls, lay the only brass statue in the garden, and the one that Shepard disliked the most; a brass statue of herself. She narrowed her eyes at the statue and began making her way towards it.

The statue portrayed Shepard in her N7 armour, standing upright, proudly holding her _Black Wido_w rifle close to her chest as she gazed forward towards the garden, overlooking everything as if she were guarding the memories of the dead.

Shepard walked slowly through the corridor towards the brass replica of herself, taking caution not to step on the wilted roses and fresh daisies left by mourners that lay at the foot of the walls. The Hall of Honour had thousands of names inscribed from the top to the bottom of the 10-foot walls. She outstretched her arms, her fingertips lightly brushing against the etched names of the fallen as she silently remembered the dead.

Shepard glared at the offending statue at the very end that was shining in the sunlight, surrounded by trees and flowers. It looked so inappropriate, outsizing every monument there by at least three feet. It seemed utterly ridiculous to glorify her when the garden's sole purpose was to honour members of the Alliance who had given the ultimate sacrifice so that others may live.

She hated the thing.

She never asked for it.

She never wanted it.

Yet still, it was insistently made for her.

She didn't want anything she had done up to that point acknowledged in such an unnecessary and overzealous manner. She had only done her duty as a soldier, and in the back of her mind, she thought that she didn't even deserve to be standing there, when so many had fallen along the way to get to the point the galaxy was today. There were others who had fallen for the cause who were far more deserving of the honour.

People like Anderson.

Her request to have the statue replaced with Admiral Anderson was still pending. After all, when the Reapers hit Earth, it was Anderson that stayed behind to rally the troops, not Shepard. Without him, the human resistance would have been in shambles and not one Council species would be standing alive today.

Shepard paused once she reached the monument. She clucked her tongue in disgust and then bit her bottom lip as her eyes scanned the statue that was gleaming in the setting afternoon sun. Her eyes looked over every detail of the brass carving, before finally focusing on the plaque at the base of the monument.

She stepped closer to read what it said:

_Commander Shepard, b. April 11, 2154 - Systems Alliance N7 Operative, Defender of Elysium, First Human Council Spectre, Saviour of the Citadel, Galactic Hero of the Reaper Wars._

Shepard lightly scoffed at what she had just read. She wondered if she should truly be commended in this way for what she had done when she had the help of so many. She pondered whether her accomplishments were being exemplified, or if she was being used as a symbol; putting a heroic face to the galaxy's victory in the Reaper Wars when so many others fought just as she did. She hated the thought - the thought of being used - of being put on a pedestal that she shouldn't be on.

It shouldn't surprise her at this point that she was being thrust into the limelight against her will. She had done many things to aid the war effort, especially against so much opposition, but it seemed ridiculous that she was being represented as the galaxy-wide icon of victory when she was a mere soldier that was following orders.

Throughout her life, people constantly took from her, piece by piece, and without her wife and child, she wouldn't have held it together as long as she had. There was only so much of herself she could give before there was nothing left.

Shepard's senses brought her out of her thoughts as she heard the sound of distant laughter. This wasn't the same type of laughter she heard at the fountain with the turian whose food was ruined by the water. No, this was… flirtatious laughter? She turned and saw a small group of human women and asari maidens as they were trying to sneak up on her. As soon as Shepard made eye contact with the group, they all quickly darted behind a nearby large hedge. They cautiously peered from their hiding spot as Shepard turned to face the statue once more, this time listening intently for any movements. The group approached her slowly as they were whispering in hushed yet excited tones as they closed the distance between them and the veteran operative.

Once they got close enough, the asari maidens lightly pushed one of the human women forward, catching her off guard as she stumbled towards Shepard who turned in time to grab her by the shoulders before she collided into her. Shepard steadied the woman, who quickly retreated a few paces backwards, visibly embarrassed at what her friends had just done.

Isolated from the group, the young woman blushed a shade of crimson as she adjusted her hair.

"S-sorry!" The woman managed to stutter out, "B-but… u-um… e-excuse me, c-can I ask you s-something?"

Shepard pursed her lips and placed her hands behind her back, interlocking them military-style, standing at ease.

"Yes?"

The woman was visibly subdued, as if she lost her ability to speak in the face of greatness.

"U-um… well, see, my friends and I were wondering… well, you see, I mean…" The young woman raised a shaky hand and pointed at the monument as her wavering voice continued, "I-is that you? Are you Commander Shepard?"

Shepard sighed internally. Her eyes, once vibrant with a dazzling energy were dulled by the exhaustion from the day and the annoyances that these intrusive women were quickly becoming. Shepard was far from being in the mood to deal with a situation like this. She never asked for this type of attention and recognition, and certainly never wanted it.

Shepard softly inhaled and exhaled, preparing herself for exactly what she knew was coming once she answered the young woman truthfully.

"Yes, ma'am. That is me."

As if she were a teenage pop sensation, the sound of squealing and excited screams instantly harassed her ears as soon as she replied in the affirmative. The group swarmed her as they tried to talk over one another. Shepard internally cursed herself for trying to be polite and truthful.

All Shepard could do now was politely stand and wait out the storm of what she had just thrown herself into. As the women screamed and gushed over her, who she is, her accomplishments, and some words she couldn't quite make out because they were speaking so quickly and so high-pitched, it reminded her of when she first joined the Systems Alliance as a mere enlisted grunt and was being reprimanded by drill instructors, except these 'drill instructors' were screaming in her ears for entirely different reasons.

"Oh. My. GOD! Are you vidding this, Tanya? It's Commander Shepard! I'm _so_ posting this all over the extranet! We'll get so many hits!"

"Can I get a picture for my Facepad?"

"Goddess! My boyfriend will never believe me!"

"Can you sign my omni-tool?"

Shepard's eyes darted at the chaos around her. The women were trying to get her to pose for pictures, sign things, answer questions; everything she didn't want to do at that moment. She had a long day and she wasn't one to snap. She needed a way out. She did what she often did when she needed instant thoughts of serenity; she closed her eyes and thought of her wife and daughter at home.

One of the asari took the opportunity to slink up to Shepard's side while her eyes were closed. She gently whispered into her ear, "Thank you for all that you've done, Shepard, I-I'd be willing to bear your child alone if you let me."

Shepard's eyes shot open as she took a quick sidestep away from shameless asari.

_'Politeness be damned, that crossed the line,' _Shepard thought as she stepped between a woman and another asari maiden who stared in shock and turned to yell at their promiscuous friend.

"Ladies, thank you for your kind words, however, this is a memorial garden and I'm here to pay my respects," She looked over the group of women with an accusing glare as she continued, "In silence."

Without even waiting for a reply from any of the women, Shepard turned to walk away.

Shepard closed her eyes and sighed as she rolled her neck and shrugged her shoulders. All she wanted to do was go home, see her daughter, and find comfort in her wife's arms, but it seemed that the universe was conspiring against her, even though she had sacrificed almost everything to save it.

* * *

Liara smiled at her daughter as she sat on the ground, the smaller asari's eyes intently focused on the task at hand; her grip firm, but drawing in graceful strokes.

Liara's smile broadened as she looked over the collection of crayons, pens, markers, and paper all sprawled out in front of her daughter. Nalayia continued to impress her every day. Despite all the technology available to her, she chose to use her hands to draw or to mould clay, and preferred to take almost every situation presented to her with a hands-on approach. Despite this, she still took time to use the datapad to do things as well, but she spent most of her time splayed out on the floor drawing one of the many drawings that were now stuck to the fridge.

"Nala, we are going to run out of space on the refrigerator," Liara said with a laugh.

The young asari looked up at her mother, giggling, her aquamarine eyes sparkling before returning her focus to her next masterpiece. Liara smiled at her beautiful daughter; she was so proud of everything Nalayia was becoming. Nala's long strokes of the pen reminded her of Shepard, how they both preferred to do things with their hands rather than use a datapad. When Nala wanted to play or to draw, she went straight to her crayons or her toys. The datapad Liara allowed her to use often went untouched.

Shepard preferred to have a weapon in her hands, and Liara knew how much she detested talking to politicians or the council. She wondered when she would be home, imagining Shepard with her head on her desk as numerous interns brought 3-foot stacks of paper for her review. She knew that Shepard's time belonged to the Alliance, and it would eventually be the death of her if things didn't change quickly.

Liara's thoughts were interrupted by Nalayia who had gotten up, plodded over to her mother, and tugged on her sleeve. She waved the drawing as high as she could reach, insisting that she look at it.

"Little one, what is this?"

It was a picture of Liara, Shepard, and Nalayia all together in a loving embrace, but it had a few of her parent's old squadmates on the side, waving. She recognized Uncle Garrus immediately with his blue suit of armour. The Normandy was perched in the sky above all of them, and she could see Joker and EDI waving down at the group of people below.

She smiled sadly down at her daughter, "You miss them, don't you?"

Nalayia nodded feverishly as she raised her hands in the air, signaling that she wanted to be picked up. Liara set the datapad she was holding and Nalayia's picture aside, granting her daughter's request and holding her in a light embrace.

In the distance, Liara heard a lock click and the sound of a door opening and closing.

_'Finally... they're keeping her later and later every night,'_ Liara thought as she smiled sadly at the small asari in her lap.

"You'll see them all soon, sweetheart, I'm sure of it. They love you and miss you dearly," she gently reassured her daughter as she began to lightly bounce her knee as if Nala was on a horse, she smiled and giggled as she went up and down on her mother's knee.

Shepard decided to make her presence known when she swiftly stepped into the room and leaned down, wrapping two strong, loving, and protective arms around the two most important people in her life. Nala, initially unaware of her father's return, gave a joyous giggle and returned her father's embrace before Shepard kissed them both on the forehead.

"There's my two favourite girls. I missed you this..." she hugged hard to emphasize it,"... much today."

"We missed you too, how was your day?"

Shepard flinched at that question as her mind instantly flashed back to the gaggle of flirtatious women she encountered on her way home, but more specifically, the asari maiden who wanted to bear her child. She could imagine the krogan bloodrage that would go through her wife if she was informed of what transpired, who would no doubt use her Shadow Broker information network to track the amorous asari down and flay her alive with her biotic powers. Shepard safely opted to speak about the meeting with the defense committee instead.

As Shepard relaxed the hug on the two asari, Liara turned to give her bondmate a quick peck on the cheek. Shepard smiled at that, and moved down to lean her head on Liara's shoulder, brushing her lips lightly against her neck; a move which she knew drove her wife insane. Shepard was perfectly fine to remain like this forever, in the comforting presence of her family.

After what seemed like an eternity of silent, serene bliss, Shepard stood up and began to pace in front of two loves of her life, her brow furrowed. She ran a hand through her hair as she frustratingly answered her wife's prior question, "Exhausting. The committee did their routine... pretended they listened but stuck with their own decision that they made up before we even convened in the conference room. I'm beginning to wonder whether they're taking pointers from the Citadel Council."

The tired look on Shepard's face instantly changed as she beamed a smile down at her little girl.

"But, I'm happy to see you both. Isn't that right, Nala?"

Shepard grabbed her daughter and held her carefully over her head, making the sound of a starship as she flew Nala around the living room. The small asari giggled as Shepard took her in for a landing on the couch, and gave her a raspberry on the stomach. She hugged her father with all her might and Shepard lovingly returned the embrace.

As she was holding her daughter, Shepard tiredly looked up at Liara, who could tell that the day had overexerted her bondmate.

Shepard's embrace with her daughter was cut short as the arm she had underneath Nala began to vibrate - her omni-tool intrusively informing her she had an incoming call. Shepard brushed her hand lightly against her daughter's cheek as she straightened to stand, dreading to leave her little girl to take the call.

Shepard sighed and looked at her wife, mumbling, "I can't get a break even in my own home... I should take this," as she walked out of the room, towards the home office to answer the vidcom.

Liara sighed. Shepard worked late and they still wanted her to work even at home. It was wearing Shepard down, and she could tell that the wear and tear of the work was really affecting her energy. The galaxy wanted all this from their hero, the one who stepped in the line of fire when no one would. Shepard, an incredible example of determination, was a mere woman. She had her needs too and her work was taking that away from her. This was beginning to become a nuisance and she knew that they needed to get away, even if for a little while so Shepard could recuperate.

* * *

Shepard sighed as she slumped forward, then quickly took a sharp intake of air as she steeled her nerves and put on a façade of sternness as she pressed a button on her omni-tool to answer the vid call. She didn't even bother to check who it was first, because at that moment, she was so exhausted that her concern was reaching zero. The omni-tool chirped and flickered to life as the figure of a man dressed in Alliance blues appeared. Shepard instinctively straightened and stood at attention as she saluted.

"Admiral Hackett, sir!"

"At ease, Shepard. This call is off the record," Hackett gruffly greeted her, his holographic image flickering as particles in the air interfered with the projection. Despite the minimized form of Hackett on her arm, Shepard noticed that he looked relaxed. She remembered how stressed he looked during the war; a permanent grimace glued to his face, and always getting straight to the point as if every second counted. The war had aged him; his face showed that years of experience were beginning to catch up with him, but the Hackett that was currently standing on her arm seemed relaxed, smile lines etched into his rugged features, and he even looked healthier.

"Yes, sir. I... wasn't expecting a call from you."

"I wasn't expecting preparations to be complete so soon, either."

"Preparations?"

Admiral Hackett changed the topic on a dime as he sternly spoke, "I read the report on your meeting with the committee."

Shepard raised an eyebrow at Hackett's unusual diversion. He was usually a very blunt and straightforward man.

Shepard then sighed heavily at Hackett's question and took the bridge of her nose in her thumb and forefinger; a habit she had picked up from her wife.

"Yeah. They didn't exactly listen to anything I had to say... reminds me of a certain galactic council."

"They never will. It's why they are in the positions they are," Hackett shook his head and frowned displeasingly.

Despite his concern with how the meeting with the defense committee went, he changed the topic yet again.

"How's Liara?"

Shepard had never seen Hackett behave like this; it was almost discomforting.

"She's fine, sir. She and Javik have almost completed the translations on those Prothean Mass Relay blueprints we extracted from Vigil's transmission. Your teams should be able to actually compile something physically soon, barring the defense committee's ultimate decision."

Hackett adjusted his posture as he asked with a cocked eyebrow, "Shepard, I wasn't asking you about your professional life. Does the committee have you working too hard?"

Hackett was right, she was far too focused on her work and it was starting to interfere with her time at home. Her mind as a soldier, commander, and negotiator never rested.

The Admiral looked at Shepard with... pity? It was so unexpected.

"No, sir. Things are just a bit frustrating right now. But I'll pull through, I always do," Shepard told him reassuringly. She never complained at any point during the N7 assessment and she won't complain about the stack of paperwork awaiting her tomorrow morning.

"Good. That's what I like to hear. How's the tyke?"

Shepard inadvertently grinned when the subject moved to Nalayia. It was unusual for Hackett to change topics so quickly, but she would never complain about getting the chance to boast about her daughter.

"She's doing great. She's drawing a lot, and she's learned some simple math. The candies definitely helped her figure it out. Actually, we're running out of space on the refrigerator to stick all her drawings up," Shepard said proudly.

"Talented and driven; just like her mother."

Shepard rubbed the back of her head shyly, not even bothering to educate and correct Hackett on the proper term of "father" when describing parenthood in asari terms, as grateful as she was for the compliment.

Shepard decided she needed to switch the topic, "Sir, what did you mean about 'preparations'?"

"Shepard, I can't think of a day in my mind where you actually set some time aside for yourself. You saved the galaxy once, died, managed to save the galaxy again, and are a forerunner in the rebuilding efforts," Hackett responded briskly.

"It's just what I do, sir. I'm a soldier."

"You didn't sign your entire life away when you joined the Alliance. I have been working on something behind the scenes for you, and now it's ready. You are human. Humans can only take so much. Humans need vacations. You saved the entire galaxy. You deserve this."

Shepard sputtered, "No, it was not a sole effort on my behalf; the entire galaxy uni-did you say _vacation_, sir?" Shepard couldn't fathom that the leader of the Alliance fleets was talking to her about_ vacationing_.

"Yes. You have new orders," Hackett pressed a few buttons and Shepard's omni-tool began beeping. She brought it up and looked over the data as Hackett continued, "These are the details. Look over them, do what you have to do. And Shepard, enjoy yourself. That's an order. Hackett out."

Before Shepard could even begin to ask Hackett questions about the orders, the miniature Hackett shrunk back into her omni-tool, abruptly ending the vidcom.

The omni-tool blinked, Hackett's "Priority" orders waiting to be opened. Shepard hit a few buttons to open the message and looked over the data with raised eyebrows.

* * *

In the next room, Liara was entertaining Nalayia with floating toys as she used her Singularity to keep the toys revolving around her in the air. Nalayia observed this quietly before snatching at her favourite; a stuffed version of _Blasto, the first hanar Spectre_ before hugging the pink toy tightly.

Nalayia was playing with her stuffed Blasto, wondering where her father went when she saw a blur in the peripheral of her vision. Before she could turn her head to see what it was, she was lifted up and spun around by her father who was grinning widely. Nalayia giggled as her father spun her around so many times that the both of them were becoming extremely dizzy. Shepard's spins slowed and she gently laid down on the floor with her daughter lightly falling on her chest. They both tried to raise their heads but their dizziness was overwhelming. The two laughed without restraints as they tried to regain their composure.

Liara couldn't help but smile as she watched Nalayia try to right herself only to fall back onto her father.

"Shepard! What's gotten into you?"

Shepard grinned widely as she grabbed Nalayia and kissed her on the cheek.

She whispered to her daughter, "Want to see Uncle Garrus?"

Nalayia nodded quickly as she grabbed the stuffed hanar toy from the ground.

Shepard propped herself up on her elbows as she looked up at Liara, grinning widely, "Looks like I've caught my break. I've been ordered to take some R&R. Top secret, Priority: Vacation. No one else is allowed to know the details," she said with a wink.

"Vacation?" Liara wasn't sure she had heard her bondmate correctly.

"Vacation!" Shepard confirmed as she laid back down and lifted Nalayia above her. She slowly dropped her daughter onto her chest and gave her a kiss before setting her on the floor. The young asari giggled at how goofy her father was being.

Shepard rose to her feet and quickly made her way over to Liara and jumped lightly into her lap, giving her a fleeting but passionate kiss on the lips. Shepard then got off her wife and ran towards the doorway with a spring in her step.

"Shepard, where are you going?" Liara asked, smiling. Despite her confusion at the entire situation, she was happy to see Shepard's mood change in a positive direction.

Shepard called out in mid-step, "I need to make a few calls! Don't go anywhere!" as she ran out of the room to set her much-needed vacation in motion.

* * *

**A/N: There you have it - the first chapter of Priority: Vacation!**

**I'm sorry about making this chapter all 'angsty,' but I really wanted to set the tone for just how hard things had been on Shepard, despite everything she had gone through. I promise from here-on-out, everything will be a lot more lighthearted and humourous. I wouldn't be that mean to Shepard in her own vacation fic. ;)**

**Now, you might be wondering what those orders were and who Shepard called? Once I stop being swamped by schoolwork, you'll definitely find out!**

**The second chapter is practically written; I just want to tweak it a little more. It should be up within the next few days.**

**As always, thank you for reading, and if you'd like, leave me a review and tell me what you think of it so far! :)**


	2. Normandy Revisited

**A/N: I am so sorry for taking so long to update! Life got a little bit hectic for me. **

**As always, I want to thank my friend Chris for giving me suggestions and giving this chapter a final look-over with me. If you recall in the last chapter's A/N, I said that he was working on an Archangel fic… well, he's put the first chapter up, so if you want to read a wonderfully-written fic about Archangel's origins, head on over to ~Malhiem. The fic is called "Rise of Archangel."**

**This chapter was actually a challenge for me because I had to write so many different characters interacting with one another in the same scene. I've never written anything like that before. I hope it turned out okay.**

**I mention a couple references to my first Mass Effect fic, **_**'Love is a Battlefield'**_** so unless you've read that, you might be in the dark on those parts.**

**Warning you now, this chapter is pretty damn long; so crack open a beer, grab a bowl of popcorn – or whatever drink and snack you fancy yourself with when you read fics – and sit back, relax, and enjoy chapter 2 of **_**Priority: Vacation**_** – **_**Normandy Revisited**_**.**

* * *

"Yes, you heard me right. I've been ordered to organize a team. No, Tali, it's not for another suicide mission... it's for a vacation to an Alliance-owned island. Yes, _vacation_. I can't tell you any more details than that. No, I won't be ordering you into any vents while we're there. Yes, Tali, if you get sand in your suit, there are medical facilities on the island. Yes, I understand. Okay… great. Alliance spaceport in Vancouver, this coming Thursday. The Normandy will be docked at ADB-4. Yes, _the_ _Normandy_. Both you and Garrus have already been granted clearance. We depart at 1300 hours, but you need to be debriefed, so get to the Systems Alliance Defense Headquarters at 0900 hours at the latest. Call me if you have any issues. Oh, and Tali; tell Garrus not to worry about bringing any alcohol – all of that will be supplied," With a smirk, Shepard pushed a button on her omni-tool, ending the call.

Shepard sighed and leaned back against the chair in her home office. She was exhausted, but this time, her exhaustion brought a smile to her face. For the past three quarters of an hour, she had contacted members of her old squad - 13 in total - to join her on her new assignment.

* * *

Shepard knew Vega was a party animal, so he was the first person she called. As soon as Vega heard Shepard utter the words "vacation" and "open bar," he told her, "Sign me up, Lola, and make sure the bar stocks up extra for me."

Shepard was happy to hear that Vega was coming, and Ashley would no doubt be joining him, as the two were now an item. Despite their differences, they really hit it off aboard the Normandy. She figured the war effort brought them together, just like it did for Liara and her. She didn't think Vega had it in him; he loved to party, and Shepard figured Ashley's lifestyle was too complacent for his tastes, preferring to have a book of poetry by Tennyson in her hand rather than a bottle of rum. However, the two seemed happy together; the strength of their relationship was evident in the fact that they have spent four happy years living together in Los Angeles.

Shepard called Jack and Miranda next. As soon as Jack answered the call, she immediately started giving Shepard flak for not contacting the couple in quite a while. After cooling her down with small talk, Shepard proposed the vacation plan to her. After a moment of silence, Jack piped up, "Well then, Shepard, for someone who's ignored us for so long, you've really made up for it. Count us in. Besides, Miri might actually look normal on the beach if she wears her day-to-day apparel." Immediately after Jack had said that, Shepard heard Miranda scoff in the background, followed by the sounds of a struggle as she imagined the two trying to fight for the omni-tool. She heard Miranda yell that Jack wore practically nothing at all before the call abruptly ended.

Shepard had then called Wrex and Grunt. They both listened to her as she pitched the trip to them. Grunt immediately agreed to go; Okeer had instilled memories of unscathed Tuchankan beaches before the krogan clan wars destroyed them and he wanted to see a real beach. On the other hand, Wrex worried if the clan would survive without him. Shepard heard Grunt growl and go off about how the clan would do much better without him there. After a minute of listening to the two krogan threaten each other, Shepard spoke up and asked if they would be coming. Wrex assured her that he would be joining, but wasn't so sure if Grunt would survive long enough to go. The two head-butted and returned back to growling and threatening one another. Knowing that the two wouldn't listen at that moment, she hung up and sent them the details via an encrypted message over the extranet.

There were those that had to decline though, being tied up in other obligations or… on the run, as Shepard found out when she called Kasumi. After many redirected calls the thief had put in place to deter her pursuers, Shepard finally got ahold of her. After hearing the details of Shepard's new orders, she sheepishly confessed she wouldn't be able to make it, stating that the Systems Alliance would like to talk to her about some top-secret, classified, and unreleased pieces of tech that had gone "missing" after the Crucible project had completed, and the very last place she wanted to find herself was on an island owned by the Alliance.

Shepard had then called Jacob and fired off the same details she told everyone else. Jacob respectfully declined, saying that his wife was expecting their next child within the next few weeks and it was best to stay with her and his growing family.

Dismayed by the few people that said no, Shepard then called Samara and explained the orders. Samara immediately declined, going into a tirade about her Justicar Code, stating how she has heard about the actions of humans on 'vacations', and how she did not want to ruin Shepard's vacation by having to kill her guests due to their impurity.

After hanging up with Samara, Shepard called Zaeed, and caught him in the middle of an apparent firefight. Already disheartened, she asked him if he would like to join. "One sec..." sounds of gunfire and an explosion echoed through the room in Shepard's home. "Don't think I can make it, Shepard. These kids they've hired me to work with need all the help they can get. Maybe next time though - got lots more stories to tell you."

Once Zaeed hung up the call on Shepard, oddly, she decided to call Javik, even though she didn't appreciate his superiority complex. After Shepard explained what a vacation was, the last Prothean bluntly stated, "In my cycle, '_vacations_' were punishable by death. Primitives are truly lazy to need _vacations_." That killed the conversation fairly quickly, and Shepard bid Javik good-bye, and silently gave a sigh of relief that he would not be joining them.

* * *

Finished with her calls, Shepard decided to review her debriefing of Priority: Vacation.

Hackett's orders had Shepard and her squad to report to Saba. Shepard knew of the place; it was a small island in the Caribbean that was a designated restricted area. It used to be a part of the Netherlands Monarchy, before the Alliance purchased the 13 square kilometer island and began doing top-secret research and development there. The island had radar, sonar, and various other systems of detection in place to identify anyone who got within 15 kilometers of conceal the island and the top secret technology on it, a bubble of electrostatic distortion made satellite imagery impossible. It also had a cloak field that made the island look indistinguishable off-shore.

Saba had a full-time Alliance military battalion that patrolled the island and the area around it. Should the initial cloaking defenses fail, the island was fortified with anti-air and ground defenses, making an invasion of the island very difficult.

Shepard recalled that the Normandy SR-1's atmospheric engine dampeners and stealth drive cloaking were developed at Saba R&D, and even ran its first atmospheric test flights from there, before it ran its final trials in outer-space.

There were rumours that there was a small resort on the island, granting access to Alliance seniority and top-brass allies of the Alliance, and Shepard found out with the orders that she was given that those rumours were indeed true.

Shepard pressed a button on her omni-tool that brought up an overhead map of the area her and her squad will be staying. Bungalows and a small resort were located on the east side of the island. Shepard grinned as she remembered that Hackett sometimes looked more tanned than usual in the early days before the Reaper Wars, and now she knew the likely reason for it.

Saba was left untouched by the Reapers because of the Hopkins War Act. If the Sol system were to be invaded and Earth was in danger, R&D centers like Saba were to provide any finished prototypes to Alliance Command and shut down all communications immediately thereafter. The island would use minimal power to remain hidden from enemy invaders. The Reapers ignored the island as they made their way through the Caribbean islands; their primary focus being metropolitan areas and large population centers. Five years later, the center was operational once more. Due to the sensitivity of the research and technology used at Saba, visitors to the resort were to be debriefed before arriving at the island, and Shepard was sure to inform everyone to attend private meetings the day of departure at the Systems Alliance Defense Headquarters. There, they would be sworn to secrecy before being allowed clearance on the ship to Saba, the Normandy SR-2.

The Normandy was very busy in years following the Reaper invasions, and was continued to be piloted by Flight Lieutenant Jeff "Joker" Moreau and AI, EDI. The most advanced and agile starship in the Alliance fleet was utilized for reconnaissance missions, and more recently deploying drones to test the defense committee's proposed orbital barriers.

Shepard sighed happily as she turned off her omni-tool and rose from her chair. She languidly stretched as she looked out on the skyline of Vancouver with a grin and thought, _'Won't have to look at this for a little while.'_

It seemed that Shepard's luck had changed in a few short hours, and things were finally beginning to come together.

Not wanting to spend one more moment without her family, she almost floated out of the room with happiness. She smiled to herself as she heard Nalayia's giggles echo through the hallway.

She paused in the doorway as she noticed Nalayia was sitting on her mother's lap, the two glancing downward at a book in the smaller asari's lap.

"Nala, this is a sand castle. Can you say _sand castle_?" Liara looked down at her daughter with an encouraging, patient smile.

Nalayia fixed her face in concentration and repeated, "San casow!" then looked up to her mother for approval.

"Very good, little one," Liara turned the page and pointed to a new image as she continued, "Now, this is a shell. Say _shell _for me?"

Nalayia looked at the picture on the page, "Shehw!"

Liara smiled and kissed her daughter on her forehead. Nalayia quietly whispered to her sadly, "Where is daddy?"

Shepard took her cue and sprung into the room with her arms outstretched. "Right here, Nala!" she said as she walked towards her wife and child. "Are you ready to build the biggest sandcastle ever?"

Nalayia giggled with glee. "Big like me?" she asked.

"Bigger…" Shepard said as she picked up her daughter and held her close.

Nalayia smiled as she said, "San casow, daddy!"

"You're getting so very good at saying that, kiddo." Shepard then turned her attention to Liara. "Our vacation just got a bit more crowded. Eight good friends have confirmed they will be joining us."

"Goddess, I'm surprised this is happening at all. I need to get ahold of Hackett and thank him," Liara said with a smile.

"Yeah, get in line," Shepard said as she grinned broadly, still hugging her little girl. "But for tonight, we need to get everyone ready for bed - busy day of planning tomorrow!"

* * *

Eventually, after much planning and requisition orders on Shepard's part, Thursday came around. Shepard and Liara walked briskly with Nalayia walking between them, holding her parents' hands as they rushed towards the Normandy's docking bay, their wheeled suitcases following behind them.

The Normandy finally came into view, its engines still not powered up. Shepard gave a sigh of relief and the three of them walked slower knowing that they wouldn't be late.

'_That would give off a bad impression,'_ Shepard thought, _'Being late for my own vacation.'_

As they walked along the ship, Shepard couldn't help but gaze at the Normandy in wonder. The ship was long and thin, giving it a nimble disposition, especially with one of the Alliance's best pilots at the helm, being assisted by an AI. After the Reaper Wars, the ship's livery was retouched. Shepard argued with the Alliance to keep it as a reminder of the war's atrocities, but she had no say over guidelines for Alliance ships. The ship shined under the halogen lights that came standard in human spaceports. The surface of the ship lightly emitted wisps of smoke. A small droid flew above the Normandy, layering it with a chemical compound to enhance the ship's cloaking abilities. The ship's name, _NORMANDY_, glistened in the light as they walked alongside the ship; the blue, black and white of the Alliance livery brightly giving the ship an almost mirage-like look with its smoky surface.

Shepard silently pondered if everyone was aboard as they neared the Normandy's airlock. As if to answer the question, she heard someone yell "Shepard!" behind her.

She turned to see Miranda and Jack walking briskly towards the Normandy with suitcases rolling behind them. Jack, as usual, was barely meeting the clothing regulations that were standard on the Alliance vessel, and Shepard had a vague suspicion that was her apparel for being outside in slightly chilly weather. In comparison, Miranda's outfit was not concealing much more.

"What? No red carpet or welcome parties? Come on, Shepard!" the tattooed biotic said as the two embraced, Miranda doing the same to Liara.

Jack turned to greet Liara, "You look great for a chick that's popped one out. You must have really worked hard to keep your bod in that shape."

Liara didn't know whether to be grateful for the compliment, or upset for Jack's bluntness. She pursed her lips in distaste but decided not to cause any issues when they were going on vacation to avoid stress. "Thank you, Jack. You look good as well."

"Shepard, I've been meaning to get to you..." Miranda said as she brought up her omni-tool, "... one of the components I implanted within you was supposed to get a new battery... three weeks ago?" She grinned meekly at Shepard, who was staring at her slack-jawed in disbelief. "I'm only kidding, Shepard. It's wonderful to see all of you."

Nalayia tugged on her mother's pant leg, shy because of the two new people in their group. This caught Jack's attention.

"Hey there, Nalayia." Jack leaned down to pick up the young asari and looked her over. "I swear she's gotten prettier since the last time I saw her. Definitely can't be your genes, Shepard."

Shepard chuckled as she winked at her bondmate and said, "You're right. Those good looks definitely come from her mother."

Liara blushed at the compliment. Jack gently handed Nalayia back to Liara, and once she adjusted the child on her hip, Liara shyly looked at Shepard and said under her breath, "Flatterer."

Shepard grinned and gave her wife a meek "I try," as she turned to Miranda who was sizing the ship up.

"I suppose being the hero of the galaxy has its perks, eh Shepard?" Miranda said as she looked the ship over.

"Are we done with the lovey-dovey stuff?" Joker's voice suddenly projected over an external speaker. "Commander, everyone's debriefed, on board, and ready to go. We can launch as soon as you get scrubbed in; though it might take a bit longer than usual because Jack is coming on board."

Jack scowled, "Joker, when I get aboard, I'm going to break every bone in your body."

"Been there, done that," Joker replied. "Come on Jack, clearly our years apart hasn't done any favours for your humour."

Finished with the pleasantries, the five of them began to make their way down the jetway, then stepped into the Normandy's airlock. Nalayia looked up in wonder and amazement as the decontamination beam passed over the group.

The scanner stopped abruptly, "Uh... sorry Shepard, but Jack's got certain illnesses that can't be decontaminated."

"Can it, Joker! Don't think I won't throw you against a bulkhead just because Nalayia is here!" Jack glared up at the sound of the veteran pilot's voice.

"I have to restart the decontamination process, wait one..." he clicked off as the decontamination field started to move again.

Jack's scowl suddenly turned to a devilish grin as an idea came to her. She looked over at the small asari that was in her mother's arms.

"Speaking of… you know, Nalayia, this is the very place where you were ma—mffhmfhm!" Miranda quickly put her hand over Jack's mouth to muffle her and made her stop talking before she could finish. Shepard and Liara glared at her as Nalayia looked at the adults with wonder.

Jack grabbed Miranda's arm and lowered it from her face and glared at her, before looking at the two parents. "What? Not my fault Shepard couldn't keep it in her pants and decided to make a baby with Liara in the middle of a damn Reaper war. Shit."

"Language, Jack." Shepard looked between her innocent daughter and her loud-mouthed former squadmate.

"Sh... shoot, ma'am."

Miranda sighed heavily and placed her palm over her face in frustration. "You don't tell something like that to a four year old. Honestly, Jack, all that tattoo ink has gone to your brain."

Jack scoffed. "Oh, really, Miri? You don't seem to complain about those tattoos when I f—mfhfhm!" Miranda promptly covered Jack's mouth with her hand once more before she could finish announcing to the group Miranda's fetish for Jack's tattoos.

As the airlock's doors hissed open, Jack and Miranda quickly rushed into the helm.

"Well, while it'd be nice to make good on throwing Joker against a bulkhead, I think Miri and I are going to make use of our accommodations a little early instead," Jack said with a wink as she and Miranda quickly walked towards the elevator, their suitcases in tow, making the sounds of bowling balls going down an alley.

Shepard, Liara, and Nalayia stepped on board just beyond the airlock as they heard the Normandy come to life. The light hum of engines, beeping of computers, and distant conversation of those working at their terminals in the CIC made a quiet comparison from the loud roar of freighters and other ships taking off from the spaceport's docking bays. In the background, Shepard could hear EDI and Joker getting clearance for takeoff. Shepard felt a comfortable familiarity here, and even though she hadn't been on board in over half a year, it felt like her second home, and with all the things that she had gone through with this ship, she was glad she was back onboard.

As Shepard reoriented herself with the noises of the Normandy, she noticed something different... an unfamiliar beeping... in a panic, she turned to Liara to find her looking at her omni-tool.

"Shepard, I have to take this," she showed Shepard her flashing omni-tool as she continued, "I will take our things to your quarters; then return here. Let's go Nala."

Liara gave a quick nod and wave to Joker and EDI as Shepard watched her wife and child walk towards the elevator behind the CIC. She sighed as the familiarity came back and walked over to Joker.

Joker swiveled his chair around to face Shepard, beaming with a smile. "Didn't think I'd see you back on board again, Shepard. Welcome back. It's been too long!"

"Joker, it has been 166 days since Shepard has been aboard the Normandy; that visit lasted 42 minutes, 36 seconds. Welcome back, Shepard."

"Thanks, it has been a while. Too long, actually; but I'm glad to be here, even if it is for a short time. It's a shame you can't take shore leave with us," Shepard said with a frown.

"Yeah, well, the Alliance has got the Normandy running recon along Sol's borders. They still think the Reapers are going to attack... what did you put in your field report? Saving the Rachni queen? Bringing back a Prothean from the dead? Defeating the mother of all Thresher Maws? Yeah, I wouldn't believe that either."

"Been telling them the same story for years, Joker. They're too stubborn. Waste of resources," Shepard said bitterly.

"Shepard, since our last encounter, I have detected that your heart rate is elevated due to stress, though I am also detecting elevated serotonin levels indicating signs of happiness. In addition, my logs of your responses indicate that your statements remain to be true and that you are psychologically fit to perform active duty for the Alliance."

"Thanks, EDI," Shepard said with a chuckle. "How is the Normandy?"

"Systems are 100% operational. Jeff and I have improved our combat efficiency by nearly 14.3% over the past year. The eezo-core is stable - last inspected 37 days ago. Engineer Adams and crew are doing an exceptional job maintaining power flow throughout the Normandy. In addition, there has been minimal physical damage reported within the last five years."

"Yeah, Shepard, ever since you left... we've been shot at less, commended more, and can wake up to know that we will survive the coming day," Joker said as he adjusted his hat.

"I didn't think the nerves would go to your head, Joker," Shepard said, smirking at him.

"Jeff's heart rate increased by 100% to 160BPM during the Reaper Wars. In times of combat or duress, he would max out at 190BPM; though it is to be noted that despite those high levels of stress, Jeff's piloting was exceptional."

"Thanks, EDI," Joker said as he smiled at her.

"You are welcome, Jeff." EDI smiled at Joker before she turned to Shepard. "Jeff has expressed his dismay for not being able to accompany you to Saba. Alliance Command has ignored all of my recommendations that Jeff needs shore leave."

"Yeah, those bastards are working me into the ground. I may be the most famous pilot in the Alliance fleet, bud of the turian military's jokes, and best damned pilot in space, but I'm human, I've got my needs."

"Yes, Jeff requires positive reinforcement as well as physical stimu—"

"EDI! Diagnostic on engines 3, 4?" Joker interjected with a strained voice.

"Engine three is in the green, working at 100% efficiency. Engine four is at 98.6% efficiency."

"Sounds like you two are getting along well..." Shepard said, slightly disturbed by the mental image.

Shepard's awkward mental image of Joker and EDI was suddenly cut short as she heard the familiar little footsteps of Nalayia running towards her, the child's feet thudding against the metal floor like a single stampeding elephant. Shepard turned to face her and crouched as she opened her arms to welcome her daughter. Liara watched them from the CIC, smiling, but still in a call. She gave Shepard a curt nod to confirm that she was to watch Nalayia for the time being.

"Ensign Shepard! I didn't expect her to be signed up in the Alliance yet! You start them young, huh Shepard?" Joker quipped, knowing that Shepard had no desire to ever see Nalayia in an Alliance uniform of any kind.

"She's my little VIP. No Alliance duties for her on this trip. Well, except to have fun," Shepard said, then gave her daughter a light kiss on the cheek.

"Shepard, I have taken a scan of Nalayia. In the 436 days in-between scans, she has grown approximately 14 centimeters, gained 6.8 kilograms, and is developing healthily according to asari growth and development cycles."

"Thank you, EDI. I'm happy to hear that."

"If only Jeff shared your enthusiasm. I advised him to ingest 16 glasses of milk per day to ensure he receives the necessary calcium, but he refuses to cooperate."

"Hey, you don't have to drink the milk! That much makes me sick. I'd rather just sit in my captain's chair all day."

"If only I could leave as easily as Shepard can when you speak too much."

"EDI, that hurts."

"That was a joke, Jeff."

Shepard laughed at the two, then saw in her peripheral vision that Liara had started making her way towards the group. Shepard turned and put Nalayia down, who immediately set off running to her mother. Liara grabbed her, gave her a kiss and pointed towards Shepard. She ran back to her father with a blissful smile, then gripped her father's knee.

"Liara, how are you?" Joker asked, greeting the newcomer.

"I am well, Jeff. And you two?"

"Functioning. Thank you, Dr. T'Soni."

"I'm well too," Joker said, "Haven't you two moved past last names y—"

The ship dipped to the left unexpectedly before immediately regaining control.

"Adjusted and stabilized. Shepard, I understand that children are fascinated by flashing lights, but it is advised that you ensure Nalayia does not push any buttons relating to disabling engines or life support systems."

Shepard looked down to see Nalayia clutched to her knee with one hand, but the other was still pressed on one of the many colourful buttons. She immediately picked her daughter up, so as to not have any more mishaps occur. "Be careful what you touch, Nala."

Liara quickly walked forward and took Nalayia from Shepard, then looked at Joker and EDI apologetically as she said, "I am _so_ sorry!"

"It is not an issue, Dr. T'Soni. It takes more than an asari child to take control. Jeff still thinks that he has been operating this vessel since my installation, but that is false. For morale purposes, I allow him to believe it is his doing."

"EDI, you're tearing me apart!"

Joker shook his head and chuckled lightly as he smiled up at the small family. "You know, Shepard, Nalayia reminds me of you. She even looks like you, though she's definitely got Liara's skin tone and hair tenta—"

"Well, it was wonderful to see you both!" Shepard said, cutting Joker off. "We should go!"

One perk - or curse - to all of the melding Shepard had done with Liara, was that Shepard could sense Liara's disposition at most times outside of the meld, even if Liara was not physically showing off any signs of how she felt at that moment. Shepard swallowed hard as she knew Joker was in for something if she did not divert Liara away at that very instant. Shepard was there the first time Joker had mentioned Liara's 'hair tentacles.' The outcome was less than satisfactory for all parties involved.

Liara internally seethed as she glared at Joker. She could deal with being razzed by him for her so-called 'hair tentacles,' but when it came to something about her daughter, Liara could feel the often-suppressed krogan bloodrage silently pump through her veins, ready to unleash at the very mention of something negative about Nalayia.

Shepard had found out Liara had an overprotective motherly side even before Nalayia was born, but certain situations in her recent memory reeled through her mind. Shepard had recently taken Liara and Nalayia on a small tour through Vancouver, and Liara snapped at an ice cream vendor that dropped a scoop of sherbet ice cream on Nalayia's brand new shirt as he tried to hand the small asari her cone. Shepard visibly twitched as she remembered later that same day, while walking to the pier, an opportunistic seagull had stolen a piece of sandwich from Nalayia's hand. That very seagull found itself trapped in a Stasis as it attempted to fly away with its prize; the helpless bird squawked and cawed as it descended to the ground below, then Liara angrily snatched the food back from the avian thief.

Shepard did not wish any form of that wrath upon Joker, so she began to usher Liara away, not wanting a confrontation when the vacation had not even properly started yet. Liara shot Joker a glare over her shoulder that made him feel like all of the brittle bones in his body had broken just from the searing look she gave him.

Joker shook his head and sighed as he swiveled around to face the helm. He said with a hint of exasperation, "I can't say I didn't miss this. Just like old times, huh EDI?"

EDI tilted her head in thought as she swiveled around in her own chair, and then looked over at her human partner. "I wonder if my processing unit will become that unstable when I bear your synthetic children."

Joker's eyes widened as he shot EDI a bewildered look.

"That was a joke, Jeff."

* * *

As Shepard, Liara, and Nalayia made their way towards the elevator, Shepard narrowed her eyes as the galaxy map came into view. She paused and held up a hand as if to silently say, "_Give me a moment_." As she walked up the podium overlooking the map, she remembered tense situations with the Collectors and Reapers. As her eyes flicked from star cluster to star cluster, she drowned out every noise besides the whine of the engines. Her eyes drifted to the left, where Navigator Pressly once stood... it seemed like forever ago that Pressly was working on the Normandy. She admired his strategic thinking, and tried to model herself after him in tough situations. It had seemed like only yesterday that she was standing in this very spot, commanding Joker to send them through the Omega-4 Relay and other missions that she feared she would never return from.

Liara held Nalayia in her arms and began to lightly sway back and forth in a comforting way. As she carefully watched her bondmate, she understood that Shepard had these moments where she was deep in thought, and it was best not to disturb her.

She heard the hiss of a door open behind her, and turned to see Specialist Samantha Traynor making her way towards them.

Traynor smiled at the two asari, speaking barely above a whisper, "Hello, Liara. I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

Liara shook her head in the negative, and turned to face the Comm Specialist. "Not at all, Traynor. It's wonderful to see you again."

"As with you." Traynor smiled gracefully at the asari, then turned her head to see Shepard walking down towards them. Hearing the two women talking had brought Shepard out of her reminiscent thoughts.

"Hey there, Traynor. It's been a while."

"S-Shepard… yes, far too long… I… I mean, it's… great to see you again."

Liara narrowed her eyes at the fumbling woman, knowing fully well just what had her flustered. Traynor still had not laid her feelings to rest, despite being turned down all those years ago.

Shepard was also fully aware of the Comm Specialist's feelings for her, and with Liara present, Shepard knew she was walking on eggshells and had to watch what she said.

Traynor's infatuation for Shepard first began when the two shook hands; Shepard's firm grip and warm voice left Traynor feeling warm as well. She would often time her meals with Shepard's, holding on to every single word and laughing somewhat incessantly whenever Shepard made a joke. It wasn't until Shepard had invited Traynor up to her cabin for a game of chess that she confessed her feelings for the Commander, but learned that Shepard had Liara on her mind and in her heart.

During the Reaper Wars, and even for some time after, Traynor would indirectly say or do things with the sole purpose of sending Liara up the wall with jealousy, as if it were her way of getting back at the asari for holding all of Shepard's affection. In fact, Traynor's gift to Shepard and Liara on their wedding day had been a matching set of Cision Pro Mark 4 toothbrushes, a sort of inside joke Traynor had running with Shepard, and that had Liara fuming. Shepard chuckled to herself as she remembered Liara in her traditional asari bonding ceremony garb, trying her best to politely smile at Traynor as she held the gifts in her hands, yet at the same time looking as if she was about to burst into a biotic rage that Traynor even had the audacity to give them what she did.

"And this is… Nalayia?" Traynor asked, motioning to the asari child in Liara's arms.

The proud parents nodded.

"Wow. I hardly recognized her. She's grown so much. Hello, Nalayia!" Traynor smiled and outstretched her hand to shake Nalayia's tiny one.

"She has your eyes, Shepard, they're stunning…" Traynor beamed at her former commanding officer.

Liara smiled an almost spiteful smile towards Traynor, thinking of all the things she would do to the woman had there not been galactic laws in place. Traynor smirked slyly, staring Liara down as the conversation lulled. Shepard looked at the both of them, and was surprised that their eyes weren't firing lasers of seething anger at one-another.

Shepard glanced at the two and knew she needed to step in. Luckily, Nalayia was busy trying to catch one of the planets on the galaxy map and didn't have to see her mother in her current irritated state.

"They grow up so fast," Shepard laughed lightheartedly, trying to disarm the situation. She could tell exactly what was going on, and she was helplessly caught in the middle.

Liara flashed a devilish smile as an idea came to her. She stepped closer to Shepard and brushed up against her bondmate.

"Yes, Nalayia is growing up far too fast. We may just have to try for another one soon," Liara said with the sole intention to elicit jealousy out of Traynor.

Shepard's heart stopped as she managed to sputter out, "A-another?"

The idea for another child had not been brought up prior. The sudden announcement made Shepard's heart jump in panic as she was in no rush to get started after Liara's first pregnancy in combination with her krogan bloodrage that led to a huge bill for the damages to their home.

Liara smiled sweetly at her confused bondmate, "Yes, Shepard... don't you remember us talking about having a large family? Nalayia needs someone to play with."

Liara looked at Traynor in the corner of her eye, gauging her reaction.

Traynor muttered under her breath "_Brilliant_," then when Liara looked at her expectantly, she immediately put on an expert poker face and said, "Oh, you make such a great couple. I'm happy for you two! Oh, before I forget! Shepard, you have a message awaiting you at your private terminal."

Traynor nodded at the small family as she turned away and made her way back into the war room, wanting to get away as fast as possible, feeling as if she were about to burst into tears.

"A message at my…? Ah! Right." It had been so many years since she heard that sentence uttered. Shepard internally sighed with relief that she could now politely excuse herself from the situation. She turned around and strode over to the comm system she was ever so familiar with. She pressed a few buttons and brought up the message.

_TO: CDR. SHEPARD_

_FROM: ADM. HACKETT_

_SUBJ: Requisition Granted_

_Shepard, the package you requested will be available for you upon arrival to Saba. A requisitions officer will greet you at the spaceport. It took a bit of leverage but once they heard your name they caved. Don't trash that thing though, it's supposed to go back intact... and I've heard stories about your driving and read the damage reports to go along with them._

_-Hackett_

Liara watched Nalayia move from attempting to catch one of the planets to now trying to catch one of the communications holograms from the podium, reaching at it as if she were trying to catch a fish in a pond. She turned to Shepard who was reading an email with a bemused look on her face.

"What is it?" Liara asked. "Did Joker send you a question about my 'hair tentacles' again? Because if he did, I will go to the helm right now and—"

Shepard looked at her wife and chuckled lightly, "No, no... you'll see. It's a surprise. Now come on, let's show Nalayia the rest of the Normandy."

As Shepard walked slowly towards the elevator, she glanced at the doorway leading to the war room. She pondered for a moment about showing it to Nalayia, but quickly decided against it.

'_She's too young to understand...' _Shepard thought as she looked towards her innocent daughter.

She remembered all the stressful hours she endured, waiting on every update from the Crucible... and death. So many reports of death. Shepard closed her eyes briefly as thoughts of what happened in the war room flooded back into her mind. All she could think about were the times where all she could do was stand in front of the holopanel and simply watch as the numbers of allied forces dwindled right before her eyes.

Liara noticed the sudden change in her bondmate's disposition and took a step forward and gently placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Shepard took a sharp intake of breath as the sudden contact brought her out from her thoughts, then smiled down at her daughter who was nuzzling her head into her mother's shoulder.

"Come on, Nalayia, let's go see if Uncle Garrus is busy doing some calibrations."

Nalayia looked at Shepard curiously, having no idea what her father just said meant.

As Shepard raised a hand to press the elevator's keypad to choose a floor, a loud chirping noise erupted from Liara's omni-tool again.

Liara huffed and brought it up into view, glancing over the information which was just sent to her. She sighed and looked at her bondmate sadly. "I have to make a call. You and Nalayia go ahead."

"More business?"

Liara nodded then quickly kissed her bondmate and daughter. "I'll catch up with you both later. I'll be in the cabin," she said softly as she handed Nalayia off to Shepard.

Shepard frowned as she took their daughter; it seemed that even her wife couldn't catch a break from work. The Shadow Broker never rests, apparently. "Okay. I love you."

"I love you, too, Shepard."

* * *

The lurch of the elevator took Shepard and her daughter down to the third deck, the crew quarters. Once they stepped out of the elevator, Shepard had put Nalayia down, knowing that her daughter had reached the age where she preferred to walk around by herself instead of being carried everywhere.

Shepard decided to show her daughter the crew lounge first. She walked forward, and as she made her way down the hallway, the sounds of incessant laughter became louder.

The door hissed open, and as soon as it did, Shepard's battle-honed instincts had her quickly ducking her head as a bottle flew past it. Shepard did a double take between the bottle that flew behind her and the direction from whence it came, noticing that an inebriated yeoman was twirling around, laughing.

Shepard cautiously stepped into the room and looked to the left of her, at the poker table. Drinks and cards were splayed out, and she saw two familiar faces.

"Lola! There you are!" Vega's boisterous voice boomed throughout the room. Shepard wasn't big on nicknames, but the one Vega insistently called her had actually grown on her over the years. "And I see you've brought ojos-azules with you! Hey cutie!"

"Hey, skipper," Ashley smiled up at her former commander from behind the brim of a glass.

Shepard smirked as she walked towards the poker table.

"Vega, Ashley! I'm so glad you two could make it." Shepard then looked behind her at the spinning yeoman, then at the bottles, glasses, cards, and poker chips that were scattered all over the table. "You just boarded the ship and you've already got the skeleton crew drunk. Can't say I'm surprised, Vega."

"Hey, you know me, Lola. Never pass up the opportunity to get the party started early, hey?"

Shepard chuckled, "Of course not." Her eyes then wandered into the corner of the room. Tucked in the corner was a massive suitcase. She knew exactly who that belonged to, and glanced over at Ashley with a raised eyebrow.

"Ash, what happened to packing like a soldier?"

"Life's too short, skipper. My soldier days are behind me," Ashley said with a smile.

"I'm with you, Shepard. As soon as I saw this massive suitcase, I let her know we're not moving there, only staying a week; but I guess ever since the war, she's hung up her rifle for a pair of stilettos. I ain't complainin', though," Vega said with a grin as he shamelessly eyed his girlfriend.

Ashley rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Pervert."

Shepard chuckled at the couple's banter, "How are you two enjoying LA?"

"It's great! The atmosphere is really nice, and the weather is fantastic. Get to enjoy it with the guys, but also get to spend some alone time. You ever read Tennyson, Shepard? You should definitely check his work out!" Vega said.

"Wait, you read poetry, Vega?" Shepard asked, shocked that the marine who always asked her to read rifle component manuals for him for the sole reason of him hating to read was now dabbling in _poetry_.

Ashley spoke up, "Yeah, he always saw me reading Tennyson and asked me to read some for him. The meat-head managed to pick it right up."

"Only because I had such a patient woman to help me understand it," Vega grinned up at Shepard as he continued, "Ash is a great gal. She's got a sweet personality and an even _sweeter _ass," he finished with a laugh.

Ashley picked a couple of poker chips off the table and threw them at her flirtatious boyfriend, one of them bouncing off of his chiseled chest, landing in his drink. He looked up at her like a lost puppy, but she just gave him an unsympathetic, stern look.

Vega tentatively picked the poker chip out of his drink as he said, "I mean, yeah... great gal, smart, and someone I really connect with on every level." He looked up at Ashley for approval, who merely smiled at him in return.

Shepard laughed at the two and then looked down, only to realize her daughter wasn't standing beside her. She looked around her feet and then around the room to find her daughter pointing at the window and the ocean below. From the corner of her eye, she watched the yeoman fall off the couch and sent a bottle bouncing across the room, landing at Nalayia's feet, which was far too close for Shepard's comfort.

Nalayia had seen the ocean from Vancouver's downtown, but never from above. Shepard had every intention to let her see it, but without the danger of a drunk man around them.

"Come on, little one. Let's go over to the other side of the ship, okay?" Shepard said as she picked her daughter up and shot the yeoman a displeased glare.

She turned to Vega and Ashley. "We're going to go take a look at the ocean, you guys enjoy your poker… and Ash, don't clean Vega out before we get to the island. I've seen him play," Shepard finished with a wink as she stepped out of the room and began making her way down the hallway.

She heard Vega yell "Not a chance, Lola!" and Ashley call out "I can't promise anything, skipper!" as the door shut behind them.

"I've got a surprise for you, Nala," Shepard smiled down at her daughter as she walked past the elevator to the Starboard Observation. The door hissed open as she stepped into the room, noticing that not much of anything had changed since the last time she was there. Couches and bookshelves lined the walls, pointing towards what looked like a glass pane with a wall behind it. There was also a big red button right beside it.

"Are you ready? This is one button I'll let you push."

Nalayia giggled and used her full hand to push it. Sunlight immediately began to pour in as the shutter climbed upwards and out of sight. Nalayia grinned immediately as Shepard set her down. The young asari ran up to the window and planted her hands up against the glass. She had a look of wonder on her face as she watched the fluffy white clouds that were flying by in contrast to the blue ocean below. She was curious and deep in thought as she tapped the window lightly and Shepard laughed.

"Don't bang it too hard!" Shepard told her daughter as she crouched down and hugged her.

Nalayia looked between her father and the view outside the window, smiling blissfully. "Cwowd!"

Shepard chuckled. "Yes, and look at that one! It looks like a fish!"

Nalayia looked and said, "Ohhhhh... fishie!"

"Yes, that's right, fishie..." Shepard grinned.

Nalayia began hitting the window more persistently, excitedly saying, "Biwdie, biwdie, biwdie!" pointing beside them. Shepard looked out the window to see four Alliance fighters and interceptors in formation flying close by to the Normandy.

"Oh, you're right, Nala! Lots of birdies!" Shepard looked on proudly at the Alliance starships.

The ships flew within 400 meters of the Normandy, before banking to the right and disappearing in the cloud cover.

"Birdies are all gone, Nala. Want to go see Uncle Garrus?"

"Uncky Gawwus! Uncky Gawwus!" Nalayia jumped with glee.

Shepard picked her daughter up then began to make her way to the gun battery. She walked by the mess hall, where so many happy memories had taken place. The games of poker, the stories of successful missions, the Friday Night Normandy Drinking Games, Vega's culinary experiments, the friendly intellectual debates... in a way, Shepard missed the camaraderie that took place here.

With a whir, the door opened, and Shepard came upon a sight she walked into many times before.

The first few times were awkward, but Garrus and Tali clearly weren't as shy as they once were. Garrus paused and looked at the intruders. His mandibles twitched as he said without missing a beat, "Can it wait for a bit? I'm in the middle of some Talibrations."

Tali playfully smacked Garrus on his shoulder as she said displeasingly, "Keelah, I cannot believe you just said that. Talibrations. Really?"

Garrus simply looked at his companions and shrugged. "So, where's Liara? Can't take my dashing good looks?" Garrus said with a laugh.

Shepard sighed. "She... had some business to take care of. Can't get away from it, it seems. I just wanted to show Nalayia some parts of the Normandy."

Nalayia clapped her hands excitedly at seeing her turian uncle and immediately outstretched her hands, wanting to be passed off to his arms. Garrus obliged and gently took the small asari from her father and held her against his chest protectively.

"And you chose to wait to show her where I saved our lives countless times over?" Garrus said incredulously as he looked down at his young niece. "Alright, little one, this is where your uncle Garrus saved the day many times before with his amazing gun calibration skills." The turian stepped towards a system terminal and pointed down at it. "This is also where your father continuously pestered me while I was doing said calibrations."

Garrus looked around. "Oh, and there was this one time on the Citadel where I bested your father and became "Lord of the Bottles"... I'm the better shot. If there's one thing you remember from me, let that be it."

Shepard laughed and turned to Tali. "How are things with you and Garrus?"

"Garrus is doing much better since the comm-buoys went online. Keelah, there was a point where I thought he'd never snap out of it."

"A turian always knows how to hold his drink, dear. I was fine."

"So you think. I had to carry you out of the bars sometimes."

"I don't remember that… besides, miss '_emergency_ _induction port_,' I hold my alcohol far better than you do. Oh, don't look at me like that. Shepard tells me everything."

* * *

After the visit to Garrus and Tali, Shepard took Nalayia down to Engineering in hopes that more members of her former crew was down there. She also hoped that perhaps she would spark her daughter's interest into learning how the ship works. The opportunity reminded Shepard of herself; growing up on different ships, trying to find her way, eventually becoming interested in anything electronic, often taking things apart just to figure out how it worked. On top of that, the stealth reactor core glows the most scintillating shades of blue, and she knew that Nalayia would love to see her favourite colour at work.

As they walked, Nalayia paused and saw the blue glow on the floor. She looked for the source and saw it through the doorway ahead of her. The young asari appeared transfixed on finding out exactly what it was. Shepard smiled at the sight.

Before Shepard could stop her, Nalayia grinned as she took off running and rounded the corner into the reactor core room, determined to find the source of the blue glow, only to run back seconds later and hide behind her father's leg.

"What is it, Nala?" Shepard chuckled at her daughter's antics as she made her way into the reactor core room, Nalayia shadowing behind her, clutched shyly to her father's pant leg.

"Oh, little one. It's only Donnelly and Daniels!"

The two engineers turned to face the direction in which their names were called.

"Shepard, that you?" Donnelly gazed the woman over. "Mitchy me, it _is_ Shepard! It's damn good to see you. What you got behind your leg? Is that the wee little one?"

Nalayia had shrunk away from view from the loud Scottish man, shyly burying her face into the back of her father's leg.

"Oh, she's as cute as a button, she is. Gabby and I were just talking about what our tots would look like."

Gabby's cheeks turned a crimson hue as she blushed at his comment.

"Was just telling her, if she stays near the reactor during this pregnancy, the babe will come out looking more like a drell than anything. Am I right, Gabby?" Donnelly shut his mouth when he looked at Daniels' expression – she was not amused.

"Sometimes, Kenneth, I really don't know what to do with you."

"I don't even know what to do with meself half the time, lass, but you still married me."

Gabby sighed as she shook her head, "That I did." She then turned to smile at Shepard. "It's great seeing you again, and your daughter is beautiful."

"Likewise, Gabby, and thank you." Shepard smiled at the young engineer.

"Is that Shepard I heard come in?" Greg Adams walked in from the reactor and shook her hand. "How have you been? Is that your daughter?"

"I've been great, Adams. Mutual, I hope. And…" Shepard turned slightly and looked downward at Nalayia, who still had her face buried in Shepard's leg, refusing to move. "Yeah, this is her. She's a bit… shy_." 'Just like her mother was,'_ Shepard smiled as she thought.

"Ah well, there will be plenty of time to say hello." Adams smiled as he took something out of his pocket - a miniature replica of the Normandy SR-2 in Alliance livery, and began waving it through the air. This quickly caught Nalayia's attention, causing her to come out from her hiding spot and reach her hands upwards, wanting to grab onto the ship.

"Ah, there she is!" Adams grinned as he leaned down and handed the small asari the ship replica. Shepard smiled at that.

Shepard then looked around, not seeing Miranda or Jack anywhere; despite distinctly remembering hearing the couple say something about going to Engineering before they rushed off when they first came aboard.

"Jack and Miranda passed by not too long ago. They went below deck to the storage area... seemed in a rush," Adams said quizzically. "I'm guessing they don't want to be disturbed right now."

Shepard subtly nudged Nalayia towards the stealth reactor core. While it was relatively quiet by reactor standards, it would surely deafen out the noises of anyone below deck doing unspeakable things that Nalayia did not need to know about at her age.

"Well, I wanted to catch up with them, but I guess we'll wait for a better opportunity."

Shepard always wondered how their relationship worked out. Jack and Miranda were once on opposite sides of Cerberus; one a high ranking officer, the other a biotic that was experimented on. Even Shepard didn't know what lit the spark between them when she heard about it... but the two hit it off when Miranda left Cerberus. Shepard figured that the couple could relate in their treatments by Cerberus, but she would never find out for sure.

* * *

Once they were done in Engineering, Shepard and Nalayia's next stop was the shuttle bay. The elevator descended and lurched to a halt. The doors opened into a vast room, housing an Alliance shuttle, weapon, ammo, and food crates, armour and weapon storage lockers, and even Vega's makeshift gym that had remained untouched throughout the years. Nalayia smiled up at her father as they stepped out of the elevator, Normandy SR-2 replica in hand.

The ever reliable Cortez was busy working at his terminal when Shepard and Nalayia approached him.

"Steve, how are you?"

"Hey, Shepard! I'm great, how are you? Is this your beautiful little girl?"

"I'm great, Cortez. Yeah, sure is. Meet Nalayia."

"Well hello there, little one." He shook Nala's little hand. "I got a surprise for you!"

Cortez glanced around before grabbing something from under the table - a small plastic container filled with multi-coloured candies. "Gotta make sure Vega doesn't get a whiff of this; it's his only weakness."

Nalayia looked up to her father for permission. Shepard nodded, and Nalayia instantly got excited, saying, "I like bwew!" as she grabbed a blue lollipop from the small plastic container.

"Now Nala, what do you say to Cortez?" Shepard said gently but sternly as she looked down at her little girl.

Nalayia looked up at Cortez and said, "Sank you!" with a toothy smile.

"Oh, she is just adorable, Shepard. I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks, Cortez!" Shepard said with a smile. "How has life been treating you?"

"Good, good. All thanks to you, Shepard. I met a good man; his name is Jasper, and I met him on shore leave, in Vancouver of all places. We're getting along very well, and I think he might even pop the question soon," Cortez said with excitement as he looked at Shepard.

"Congratulations! I'm glad you've finally gotten past Robert, Steve. It needed to be done if you were to ever be happy with yourself; he would have wanted that for you, too."

"Thanks, Shepard. You really made a difference to me. It's a shame they don't give us Lieutenants more vacation time, otherwise I would join you down there. If you need an under-the-table requisition though, let me know."

Shepard had suddenly thought of a grand idea, one that would really make this trip a memorable one. "Actually, Steve... there is one thing?"

Cortez raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

It was Shepard's turn to look around, to ensure that she wasn't being watched. She then whispered her request into Cortez's ear.

"Ooh... I don't know, Shepard. That's quite the requisition... but I know you're on good terms with Admiral Hackett, so I'll go through him."

"Great, so will it be ready to pick up within the next few days?" Shepard asked, hopeful that her requisition would be fulfilled.

"Yes, it should. In fact, I'll have it delivered to**—**" they were interrupted by a loud crash, and Shepard instinctively picked up Nalayia protectively, shielding her from whatever the cause of the crash was. A giant roar suddenly echoed through the shuttle bay.

"Oh, no, those two are at it again," Cortez muttered, placing his forehead in his palm in frustration.

Nalayia yelped in surprise and clung to Shepard's shoulder. Shepard comforted her daughter as she glared at the two fighting krogan.

"You quadless pyjak! I have half the mind to kill you right now," Wrex growled.

"You wouldn't be able to break a bone in my body, old krogan!" Grunt pushed against Wrex and caused him to back into a bulkhead.

"I could break everything if I just looked at you the wrong way, tank-bred!" Wrex broke free from Grunt's grasp by delivering a swift head-butt to the young krogan.

Shepard looked at the two krogan cautiously then gently handed Nalayia to Cortez for protection. She sighed heavily, squared her shoulders, puffed out her chest, and rolled up the sleeves of her N7 hoodie. Her vacation was not going to be ruined, even if it meant she had to face two agitated krogan. Shepard made her way over to the pair, ready to diffuse the situation with words or actions, whichever it had to come down to.

The two butted heads and remained snout-to-snout when Shepard came up to them and asked in a displeased tone, "Wrex, Grunt, what _exactly_ is going on here?"

Wrex growled, "Shepard, this pyjak wouldn't shut his trap about getting more kills than I did in the final battle for Earth. He thinks he brought Tuchanka more glory than me. _ME! _Urdnot Wrex, leader of clan Urdnot, leader of _TUCHANKA_!"

Shepard sighed heavily once more. She figured that because the two krogan had a lot of pent up energy having not had the opportunity to properly fight anything in quite a while, coupled with the fact that krogan hold _very_ long grudges, the two would be doing nothing but butting-heads… literally… this entire vacation.

"Hah! It's not my fault you are old and slow. I had half the ammo you did, and got double the kills!"

"Why you f**—"**

"Hey! Settle down! The both of you." Shepard interjected and shot each of them a glare that would make a Thresher Maw retreat. "We're on _vacation_. None of us need _any_ confrontations. _Stand down_."

The two krogan growled as they angrily released each other.

"Good." Shepard nodded, and turned her attention to Wrex, in an effort to change the subject. "How is the clan here on Earth?"

Wrex snorted. "Well, these weaklings are actually proving themselves... though the early going was a lot of making sure who their leader was."

"Your leadership was crumbling; it was only when I joined your clan that you grew stronger," Grunt said.

"You worthless tank-bred, if anything, you made it worse!"

The two growled as their heads came together once more.

"Relax, both of you." Shepard warned them. "Continue your story, Wrex."

Still glaring at Grunt, Wrex continued, "Yes, as I was saying... these worthless pyjaks eventually came together. They might actually be better than I thought, which isn't saying much."

Shepard nodded then turned her attention to Grunt. "How are you finding life in Wrex's clan?"

"His clan isn't that good, but the other clans were much worse."

"You're lucky you picked the right side, otherwise, you'd be dead like those of clan Weyrloc," Wrex said as he steadied his stance, ready to charge if Grunt said one more negative thing about clan Urdnot.

"You two need to relax, we are going on vacation! This is not a place to complain, this is a place to rest. Can you both just tone it down for a few days?" Shepard asked in false confidence.

"Fine, Shepard. I finally get to see the oceans of an undestroyed world. I look forward to it, and do not wish to ruin it for the rest of you by arguing with this useless pyjak," Grunt said with pride.

"Shepard, if you were not of clan Urdnot, I would have beaten you to a pulp for trying to tell me what to do... but since you are... I shall heed your request. I too wish to see the oceans of Earth," Wrex said.

"Well, we'll have plenty of that. Though, I should go back and see how Nalayia is doing. I'll see you when we reach the destination?" Shepard said as she began to step backwards.

"Don't leave me with him," Grunt pleaded.

"Oh, be quiet, tank-bred. I'm not that bad. Heh heh."

"Wrex," Shepard said warningly.

"Shepard."

Shepard nodded, then turned on her heel and made her way back to Cortez and Nalayia.

Shepard smiled reassuringly at her daughter as she took her back from the Lieutenant and held her close. "Everything's all right now, sweetheart. Daddy calmed those big meanies down."

Nalayia sniffled as she glared at the two krogan across the shuttle bay. It seemed that even Nalayia didn't want her vacation ruined by confrontations.

Shepard chuckled as she looked to Cortez and said, "It was wonderful seeing you again, Steve, but we really should get back to Nala's mother."

Cortez smiled as his former commander. "Likewise, Shepard. I'll keep you posted on the status of your requisition."

"Thank you." Shepard nodded to him, then turned and made her way back towards the elevator. She looked down at the little girl in her arms and smiled. "Ready to see your mother?"

* * *

Shepard set Nalayia down as the elevator lifted them through each level of the ship, going to the captain's cabin at the very top.

"Let's see what your mother is up to..." Shepard said as they both stepped off the lift and opened the door. Nalayia bounced into the room, Normandy SR-2 replica in hand, wanting show her mother her new toy.

"No, I don't think you understand..."

Shepard froze when she saw Liara was pacing with her back to them, visibly upset. Shepard quickly stepped forward and placed a hand on Nalayia's shoulder, stopping her in her tracks, as to not disturb her mother who was still in a call.

Liara turned and saw the two frozen statues and held a finger up, signaling them to wait. "Yes, but make sure it is done correctly... yes..."

Shepard stuck up her thumb and pointed behind her, silently signifying she'll leave and come back later.

Liara looked at her and shook her head. "No, stay**—**sorry, Feron. I meant yes, utilize them to your discretion. Though, this will have to wait... yes, I understand the severity, but I will get back in contact with you in a few hours... you'll just have to wait." And with a push of the button, she dismissed the call.

Shepard sighed with relief and released her grip on Nalayia's shoulder.

Nalayia yelled "Mama!" as she ran up to her mother and hugged her leg.

"Hello, little one. Where have you been?" Liara asked as she crouched to her daughter's level. She placed a hand atop the smaller asari's head and smoothed her hand against her crest.

Nalayia smiled and said, "Uncky Gawwus!" then she pointed at her new toy in her other hand.

"Oh? What's this?" Liara smiled as she placed her hand over her daughter's to examine her new toy. "This is… the Normandy, the very ship we are on right now."

Liara wrapped her arms around her daughter and picked her up as she rose to stand, and walked up the steps to the office area of the cabin, where Shepard's ship model collection was. Liara pointed at a certain model in particular. "That is also the very ship we are on right now, the bigger version of your new toy." Liara smiled as she cuddled with her daughter.

"Did we interrupt?" Shepard asked as she took tentative steps towards her wife and daughter. She knew not to disturb her wife's work as the Shadow Broker.

"No, nothing serious... I'd much rather see you two," Liara said with a smile.

As her parents spoke, Nalayia looked over the display of ship models and yelled, "Nawmandy!" as she saw the Normandy SR-1 model in its black, red and white paint job below the model of the SR-2.

"Yes, sweetheart. The original Normandy... where it all began," Liara said with a smile as she lightly swayed in place as Nalayia gazed upon the ship models.

Shepard chuckled as she stepped forward and opened the display case and took out the model SR-1.

"It goes really fast, like yours does!" Shepard waved the ship around Nalayia's head and the child decided to join in with her own ship.

"Look out! I'm going to get you!" Shepard started chasing Nalayia's ship around with her own.

Liara giggled at the two playing with the models. Shepard's inner child really came out when she played with their daughter. She loved seeing the carefree and joyous side of her bondmate. She never figured the battle-hardened commander would even have this side, but it was a pleasant surprise when she first found out.

Shepard turned her ship around, and now it was Nalayia who was chasing her. "Oh no! The Nalamandy is trying to get us! Faster, Joker!" Shepard said as she continuously flew the ship model over her daughter's head.

"Rawr!" Nalayia yelled as she grabbed the ship from her father's hand.

"She got us, Joker, we're doomed!" Shepard playfully yelled, then got an idea. "Wait! I know Nala's weakness!" Shepard took the ship models from her daughter and placed them on the nearby desk, then stepped back to her wife and child, flexing her fingers as she grinned cheekily. "Joker, fire the tickle beam!"

Shepard then began to tickle her daughter under her arms and around her ribcage. The tiny asari giggled and helplessly squirmed in her mother's arms as her father relentlessly tickled her.

Nalayia was laughing uncontrollably as she tried to squirm out of her father's grip. Shepard laughed as she gently took the child from her mother and yelled out, "We're coming in for a crash landing! Brace for impact!" as she carried Nalayia over to the bed. Once she reached the foot of the bed, she turned around and fell back onto it, with Nalayia falling onto her chest.

"Surrender, Nala! The tickle beam is too much!" Shepard said as she started tickling her again.

Nalayia giggled and said "Stop!" as she crawled off of her father's chest and buried herself under the covers to get away.

"Oh... where did she go?" Shepard asked, to which Nalayia replied with a muffled giggle. "I guess I'll have to eat all the ice cream on vacation all by myself," Shepard finished with a grin.

Nalayia poked her head out from the covers and yelled, "I want isquweam!" before Shepard made her retreat under the blankets with more tickles.

"Goddess, Shepard, let her breathe!" Liara told her, looking at the two of them.

"Alright, alright," Shepard caved and uncovered Nalayia, who was still having a fit of giggles. Shepard got another idea and grinned. "I bet you haven't seen these kinds of fishies before!"

Shepard gently picked up Nalayia, slid off the bed, and carried her over to the large aquarium on the wall so she could gaze at the fish. Nalayia gently placed her tiny fingers on the glass and began to follow the path of small school of Prejek Paddlefish that was lazily swimming in circles. Shepard put her own hand on the cold glass and followed her daughter's movement as she followed the fish. She eyed Nalayia, who was attentively fixated on the fish, gazing curiously as their fins gently rippled in the dark blue water in the aquarium. Liara came up behind them and placed a hand against the small of Shepard's back as she watched their hands follow the movements of the fish. With her other hand, Liara began to follow their hands in the same cautious and gentle way. Their hands eventually touched as Shepard and Liara held their daughter's hand before embracing in a loving hug. They watched the fish silently swim in their aquarium for what felt like hours. Shepard wished the moment could have gone on forever.

So far, the vacation seemed to be going off without a hitch, minus a few hiccups along the way. Shepard could only hope that the rest of the vacation was confrontation-less because of it, though she couldn't expect a normal, peaceful vacation with the motley crew that was onboard.

The family moment was interrupted when EDI's voice came over the intercom, "Shepard, we will be arriving in 15 minutes."

Shepard smiled down at her family who were nestled against one-another, replying barely above a whisper, "Thank you, EDI."

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for reading!  
**

**In the next chapter, Shepard and crew finally reach their island destination. Lots of crazy beach antics to be had. Chapter 3 should be up soon, so stay tuned!  
**

**If you'd like, please review and tell me what you think so far! :)**


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